Geelong Community Foundation grant enables sensory room for adults with autism
A dedicated sensory space will soon be created at our new North Geelong multi-purpose community site thanks to a generous donation by Geelong Community Foundation.
The space will feature sensory equipment, a sound system and soft matting, offering a safe and relaxing place for young adults with autism, intellectual disability and/or complex behaviours.
The Geelong Community Foundation this month committed $10,000 to the sensory room, which will be accessible to about 50 young adult participants.
Accommodation and Specialist Support Services Manager Sean Justin gave Geelong Community Foundation Chief Executive Officer Gail Rodgers a tour of the site, showing her where the sensory room would go.
‘On behalf of Gateways Support Services, I expressed our deep thanks to the Geelong Community Foundation for sharing and supporting our vision through this generous commitment,’ Sean says.
‘The people to benefit from this room are young adults who have 1:1 NDIS funding, enabling us to deliver a very flexible, tailor-made model of support.’
He says this model ensures these young people can increase their social and independence skills, providing them with better opportunities of inclusion and improving their overall health and wellbeing.
Gateways Support Services’ new headquarters on Thompson Rd, North Geelong, is being created as an inclusive community space that thoughtfully and creatively addresses the support needs of people with autism, intellectual disability and/or complex behaviours.
The site is a base for a range of capacity and skill building programs, enabling participants to engage in activities within the community or remain on site.
‘Within the Geelong region there is a lack of capacity building skills programs for young adults with autism, intellectual disability and/or complex needs and our new North Geelong site is all about addressing this need,’ Sean says.
‘For example, with many participants living with high anxiety levels, this sensory room funded by Geelong Community Foundation, provides the opportunity for these young adults to their reduce anxiety, enabling them to continue to be involved in programs and activities.’
